Hana
by Josh The Pleb
Summary: The young girl stared with rapt wonder as the dying rose regained its vibrancy and color. A once muted and sickly yellow turned bright and full of life. A sheepish Naruto handed the flower back to her, "I'm not sure how I did that, but your flower is fine now!" (Mokuton!Naruto, Senju!Naruto, NaruIno, Team 7 Friendship).
1. Chapter 1

_**-Hana-**_

**Hi all!**

**So, first off, I would like to address those of you who have migrated over from the original story. I'm sorry that I'm making you guys read these chapters again, it's just that I got so caught up in the semantics of making sure that everything I do makes sense that I kind of let the story quality dwindle. **

**I am not sure if I can call what I'm doing a proper rewrite because of how little was actually written, so just consider this as more of a re-organization of the first few chapters so that it may hopefully flow a little better.**

**Now, for everyone else;**

**Hello and welcome to my Naruto Fanfiction!**

**A few things you may want to know before you decide to spend your valuable time on this story:**

**Naruto is going to be different in this story. He's still going to be the same knuckleheaded goof we all fell in love with, but due to certain circumstances he is going to behave a little calmer rather than rambunctious.**

**Naruto is going to have the Wood Release or Mokuton in this. The whole concept of this story was birthed from an idea I had that takes place in this chapter, you'll know what I am talking about when you get there.**

**The pairing in this story is going to be NaruIno. Firstly, because I absolutely love that pairing, and secondly because it feels kind of like a no-brainer to me but I haven't really seen applied elsewhere. Ino loves flowers, Naruto can control flora. It makes perfect sense in my head okAY!**

**My chapters aren't going to be terribly long, but hopefully that means I can make relatively consistent updates (unless my muse leaves me of course).**

**Well, I suppose that is it, this was a pretty long author's note, so I hope I didn't scare many of you away. Hope you enjoy this first chapter, and I should have the second chapter up soon because it is already written, I simply need to make a few changes.**

* * *

_(Commercial District, Konohagakure no Sato – Year 73)_

* * *

Naruto was bored.

The seven-year-old boy wandered around the village in search of something interesting to do. He didn't have any pending work from the academy and didn't particularly have any friends to speak of.

This aimless wandering of his led him to the shopping district in his home village of Konohagakure.

Shinobi and Kunoichi of all ages wandered around looking for various ninja tools and gear to help them out in their missions. Civilians walked around in search of groceries or clothes or provisions. Children dragged their parents along from shop to shop in hopes of being able to score some candy or toys.

Really, a normal day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Naruto briefly wondered whether it would be okay for him to join any of those groups and spend some of his money too. His small hands moved to cup his dear wallet, Gama-chan.

The toad-shaped wallet had been a gift from Jiraiya the last time the white-haired shinobi had visited the village and Naruto absolutely loved the little thing. He never left his house without it.

He shook it against his ear to check how much money he had left after spending so much at Ichiraku's. Ramen was undoubtedly his favorite food. The kind old man and his daughter made the best ramen in the village (and he would know, he had made sure to try every single other restaurant in the Commercial District).

After a moment of consideration, Naruto decided to save the money he had left for another time. It might be a while before he was given any more money. He even bypassed a little piglet plushie that he kind of wanted.

Just as he was about to give up on his search and return home, a startled gasp caught his attention.

His brown eyes wandered over to where he assumed the source of the sound was. It was a general store. It was a humble little store selling civilian wares and general provisions. Umbrellas with cute designs on them were hung near the entrance, possibly because of the approaching rain season.

Outside the store was a young girl who looked about his own age. She was crouched over with her back turned to him, so all he could make out was her short bubblegum pink hair which was tied back with a red ribbon. She wore a short-sleeved red qipao dress and dark green bike shorts.

She was sobbing lightly.

Naruto grew concerned for the girl, she looked like she could use some cheering up.

"Are you okay?"

He sounded nervous; he hadn't really spoken to many people outside his family. He hadn't made any friends in the academy yet, and the civilians kept their words to him to a minimum. Out of fear or respect, he did not know. Either way, he did not like it.

The startled girl whirled around; her green eyes met with his. Her pink hair was worn in bangs, almost self-consciously covering her forehead.

Her tears seemed to have dried up and her eyes widened when she realized who she was looking at,

"You're Naruto Senju."

The blond's throat tightened when he recognized the look in the girl's eyes. She looked at him with the same sort of admiration as some of the villagers shot him, her eyes shone with respect he hadn't earned yet and hence felt undeserved.

Although he wanted to scowl, he didn't let his displeasure show on his expression. His objective was to cheer this girl up after all.

"That's me," he nodded stiffly.

The girl straightened up and got to her feet,

"Wh-what can I do to help you Sen-Senju-sama?"

The girl was behaving like a nervous wreck and Naruto didn't like it one bit, he was just a kid like her and didn't want to be treated special just because of what legacy his family held. He wanted to be judged on his own merits.

He grinned as a show of good faith,

"You can start off by telling me your name," he said, "You already seem to know mine."

"My name is Sa-Sakura, Sakura Haruno."

She shrank after every word and tried to hide behind her bangs. She rubbed her eyes to wipe away the last of her tears.

"Nice to meet you Sakura," he smiled gently at her, hoping to make her feel a little more comfortable.

"Nice to meet you too, Senj- "

"Please call me Naruto," Naruto didn't let her finish. His words were kind, but firm. He really hated being referred to as by his family name.

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-san."

Naruto wanted to groan at the added honorific, but at the very least she was calling him by his own name.

Sakura suddenly seemed to realize something and stiffened,

"I completely forgot to ask you, Naruto-san, did you need something from our store?"

Naruto shook his head,

"I just came over because I saw you were upset, so I wanted to cheer you up a little."

Sakura's eyes widened again, and her cheeks reddened. She then smiled,

"Thank you, Naruto-san. I am feeling better already."

And she did feel better, she had been having what could possibly have been the worst morning in her short, seven-years. She had been feeling like the world was crumbling around her until the bright and sunny blond showed up to brighten up her day.

Sakura turned around and picked up a potted plant from the counter and turned back around to face him. In the pot was what appeared to be a wilted flower. Its stem was thin and had patches of brown on it, its petals were shriveled up and discolored. It did not look very healthy.

"I was upset because my friend, Ino, gave me this flower when we became friends a week ago and I promised to take care of it," she began to tear up a little again, "But when I went to water it today, it was like this. I really thought that I was doing a good job at keeping the flower healthy!"

Sakura had felt like she couldn't do anything right when she found Ino's flower on the verge of death that morning, if she couldn't even keep a mere flower alive, how could she convince her parents that she was ready to join the Ninja Academy?

Sakura held up the flower pot to Naruto's face.

Naruto recognized the name, Ino Yamanaka. She was his classmate in the Academy, she was pretty but she could be a little vain at times, in Naruto's humble opinion.

He carefully picked up the pot. He remembered his academy sensei saying something about how every living thing possessed some kind of energy called 'chakra'.

Jiraiya had been teaching Naruto how to use his chakra every time the older shinobi visited, which was every few months or so. The last time Jiraiya visited, Naruto learned to expel some of his own chakra. This is what had earned him Gama-chan.

Since chakra was energy found in living things, Naruto figured that maybe if he tried the same on the flower then maybe it could help out in reviving it. Surely, it couldn't do any harm.

Naruto focused and let some of his chakra flow into the potted flower.

The young girl stared with rapt wonder as the once dying rose regained its vibrancy and color. A once muted and sickly yellow turned bright and full of life again.

A sheepish Naruto handed the flower back to her,

"I'm not sure how I did that, but your flower is fine now!"

Sakura squealed in excitement and hugged Naruto. The boy flushed at the sudden contact.

Realizing what she was doing, Sakura untangled herself from the boy and blushed in embarrassment,

"I'm sorry about that, Naruto-san. I did not mean to do that."

Sakura was ecstatic. She had no idea how Naruto had managed to revive the flower, but she now had a second chance at keeping the rose alive.

Naruto awkwardly chuckled,

"It's fine."

"Ino gave me this yellow rose because she said it means friendship," Sakura said, accepting the flower pot, "I think this flower just made me another friend."

If she didn't have both her hands on the pot, she would have been crossing her fingers in hopes that the boy would accept her veiled request.

Naruto's grin widened; he had just made the first friend who was the same age as him.

"I'd love to be your friend Sakura!" He paused, "on one condition though."

The girl tilted her head in confusion. She was worried whether the boy would make some exorbitant demand, he was practically royalty in the village after all.

"Please just call me Naruto."

Sakura nodded enthusiastically,

"Okay, Naruto!"

"What's all this commotion?"

A new voice took the two children out of their conversation, Naruto turned around to see who he assumed to be the owner of the store and/or Sakura's father.

At the doorway stood a kind-faced man with blue eyes and dull-pink hair which was styled into the shape of a cherry blossom. He also had sideburns which flowed into his angular moustache and had a bit of stubble on his chin. He wore a dark, loose-fitting kimono-shirt which had a green, inner-lining and sleeves which extended beyond his shirt.

His kimono shirt was held closed by a simple obi along with burgundy colored three-quarter pants, and a pair of simple slippers. He also wore a simple silver necklace with a pink cherry blossom design on it with a single deep plum petal.

"I made a new friend Daddy!"

Sakura's father examined his daughter's new 'friend' closely. Of course, he knew who the boy was. Naruto Senju was well known within the village walls, notorious prankster and great-great-grandson of the Shodai Hokage.

And a fact that only ninja were aware of, the boy was also the container of the Kyūbi no Kitsune. The nine tailed demon fox that had attacked their village over seven years prior.

"Hello there, Senju-san," the pink-haired man said, "My name is Kizashi."

The man continued,

"I'm glad you were able to befriend my daughter. I'm afraid she doesn't have many friends other than that Ino girl she met recently."

Sakura flushed in embarrassment at being called out, but didn't say anything.

"Do you attend the academy Naruto?"

Naruto nodded at the question.

Kizashi continued,

"Sakura has been trying to convince my wife and I to enroll her in the academy next year and I was hoping you could help her get along with the other children. She isn't from a prestigious clan like most of the others and she's also a little shy."

Sakura's flush deepened. It was true, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to make any friends except Ino and she had voiced these concerns to her parents.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He couldn't very well help Sakura make any friends when he didn't have any himself,

"Um, actually sir-" he trailed off, but then noticed the downtrodden expression on the older man's face. Naruto plastered a grin on his own,

"Of course, I'll help out!"

Kizashi smiled at the boy. The pink-haired man knew that he was asking a lot from the boy it was a little unfair, but he just wanted his daughter to be happy and possibly enjoy the last vestiges of her childhood before she was to became a soldier for Konohagakure.

"Besides," Naruto looked at Sakura with a grin, "What are friends for?"

* * *

**Hi again!**

**So yeah, I pulled a little sneaky on ya. You probably expected the flower scene to happen with Ino, but here it is with Sakura instead!**

**Why did I do such a thing, you might ask? Well I just really like it when Sakura is nice to Naruto and I think they can have a bomb ass friendship if she wasn't so Sasuke-obsessed. Also, I wanted to make the NaruIno a little more fleshed out and having them as friends from even before the story proper starts would kind of ruin that, I feel.**

**The next couple chapters are going to be flashbacks that chronicle what was changed from canon to get to where I am, because I have made some very obvious changes in my story.**

**Naruto is a Senju, for starters. Also, it seems like he isn't ostracized by the villagers in this one, so I wonder how that would turn out for our little blond ball of sunshine. **

**Any suggestions are welcome!**

**That's all from me, so don't forget to read and review!**

**BAIIIII!**


	2. Chapter 2

**-Hana-**

**Hi all!**

**Here's the second chapter of the fic. Longer one this time, don't get used to it.**

**In this one, I'm going to group all the flashback scenes I had in the original into one chapter with a couple of minor changes.**

**Don't really have much to say, more original content will be there from the next chapter onwards.**

**Oh, and can we have a warm welcome to my new Beta-Reader; Fanfiction0000! They have volunteered their time to (hopefully) make this story a little better!**

**Final thing, the first version of this story has officially been removed from the site, but that shouldn't be a problem for you guys, this is going to be the definitive version of the fic! Besides, i only lost like 50 reviews and 10,000 or so views. I'm sure you guys would help me get those numbers back... Right?**

**See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

_(Hokage Mansion, Konohagakure no Sato – Year 65)_

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood somberly in his office overlooking the re-construction of his village. Shinobi and kunoichi of all ages flitted around the village doing their best to help out any villager in need in any way they could. The whole village came together to help itself heal from the massive blow they had received when the Kyūbi no Kitsune had attacked their village.

The village had taken many losses that night, but none other more prominent than their own Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Minato was a man loved by the villagers, he was a powerful shinobi and a great leader for the short while he was Hokage.

The man had sacrificed himself to seal one half of the Kyūbi into his son and the other half into himself using the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal) a powerful fūinjutsu that summoned the Shinigami to seal off the target's soul. It was a highly guarded kinjutsu because of the heavy price the user would have to pay to use the technique; their life.

Having died without naming a successor and with the village in crisis, Hiruzen had been reinstated as the leader of Konohagakure.

Countless other lives had been lost when the Kyūbi appeared in their village out of thin air, but all was not lost. Minato's son was alive and healthy.

Naruto was a bright and bubbly infant even if he had a powerful monster sealed within him. The boy was being kept in Konoha General Hospital which had been miraculously safe from the attack.

The Hokage took a long drag from his pipe.

He wasn't naïve enough to believe that the boy could have a normal, or even peaceful life. He was the jinchūriki, it was fated that his life would be miserable at worst and unpleasant at best save for some sort of miracle.

After having just been born, the boy had already lost both his parents and had a demon sealed within him.

No, the boy was not going to be having any semblance of a normal life.

A gentle knock on his door shook the Hokage out of his revere,

"Come in," he called out.

A tall and well-built man with fair skin entered the Hokage's office. He had waist-length, spiky white hair that was tied back into a ponytail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. There were red lines under his eyes which extended all the way to his chin.

He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, hand guards, a black belt, traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a red haori with two yellow circles on each side. He wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" on it.

It was his student, Jiraiya.

"I came as soon as I heard," the white-haired man said.

As soon as the Kyūbi attacked, Minato had sent his fastest messenger to fetch Jiraiya, who was following up on a lead on a mission near the borders of Hi no Kuni.

"So, it's true then? Minato's really dead," Jiraiya sighed, "I didn't want to be one to outlive my student."

Hiruzen nodded somberly, he knew how much Jiraiya cared for Minato.

Jiraiya stiffened up, saving the sentimentality for later. He had someone he wanted to desperately meet.

"So," Jiraiya said, "Where's the boy?"

"He's in the hospital, he was put there after the attack to make sure he's okay."

The mention of the hospital stung the Hokage, his wife would have been one of the many medic-nin helping out at the hospital if not for her untimely demise during the attack.

"I'd like to see him."

* * *

_(Konoha General Hospital, Konohagakure no Sato - Year 65)_

* * *

Finding Naruto hadn't been very difficult once Jiraiya reached the hospital. As soon as the medical staff recognized the Toad Sage, he was promptly escorted to where he wanted to go. During which, he took note of how busy the hospital was after the attack.

Staff rushed about from room to room while even more patients were being taken into spare rooms to be taken care of. The attack really put a strain on the village's healthcare system, with the number of injured, Jiraiya was sure that many wouldn't live to see the next day.

Jiraiya cursed himself for not being there to help Konoha during the attack, for not being there when Minato and Kushina died. His spy network was important for Konoha, but was it really worth it if it meant he couldn't be there for those who he really cared about?

His thoughts were broken by the genin sent to escort them pointing out to the infant ward of the hospital.

Naruto was held with the rest of the infants in the childcare wing of the hospital, having just been born. Jiraiya particularly noted how few children there were in that wing. Besides Naruto, there lay only a couple babies. Most of them, civilian and seemingly a few days or weeks older than the blond.

Jiraiya was further surprised to find a woman already inside the ward and observing the blond baby with an unreadable expression on her face. The woman was fair skinned having long, black hair with bangs hanging on either side of her face to roughly frame her cheeks and black eyes. She wore a simple dark brown blouse with a red plum skirt and blue sandals.

"You can go inside and hold him if you wish, Jiraiya-sama," The genin said, "Although, I am curious as to why the great Ichinin of Konoha and the Matriarch of the Uchiha clan is so concerned about a random baby."

The Toad Sage stiffened at the title, but didn't let any emotions betray his body,

"You needn't concern yourself with any of that young genin."

Jiraiya took a closer look at the boy.

The boy was dark skinned and had a scar that ran across his face horizontally. He had brown hair tied in a ponytail at the back and bangs that were allowed to frame his face. He wore a white shinobi gi and had his forehead protector as a makeshift belt.

"What's your name, boy?"

The boy seemed confused by the strange request, having been expected to be dismissed as soon as he was done escorting the man to his destination.

"My name is Iruka, sir. Umino Iruka."

Jiraiya bent down to meet Iruka in the eyes,

"And tell me, Iruka, why are you here? You are but a genin and you don't seem to have any medical capabilities or jutsu."

Iruka blushed in embarrassment,

"My parents were killed in the attack. I just want to help out whoever is still alive."

Jiraiya smiled at the boy,

"The will of fire is strong in you. Cherish it, for it is becoming quite rare these days."

Jiraiya stood back straight and waved the boy off a wide grin on his face.

"You can go back now, make sure to help as many people as you can."

The boy nodded enthusiastically,

"I will!"

With that, he ran off back to where he would be more useful than standing around with Jiraiya.

Jiraiya entered the ward.

"That was quite a speech Jiraiya-san."

Jiraiya turned to face the woman who had spoken,

"I did not expect to find anyone else here, Mikoto-san."

Mikoto shook her head sadly.

"I did not wish to be here either, but that idiot Kushina had to go and get herself killed," the woman sighed, "I already miss her."

Jiraiya nodded, understanding where the Uchiha was coming from,

"I miss them too."

Mikoto and Jiraiya stood next to the sleeping boy, neither sure of how to proceed.

A tuft of blond hair – extremely similar to Minato's – stuck out from the blankets Naruto was wrapped in. He had three whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks, no doubt an influence of the Kyūbi on the boy from his pregnant mother being the jinchūriki.

Jiraiya was honestly fascinated by how the physical traits were passed down from the Bijū, he didn't expect any such features to be passed down to the boy. Perhaps it was due to prolonged exposure to the Kyūbi's chakra while Naruto was still inside Kushina's womb.

"He's adorable, isn't he?" Mikoto whispered.

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded with a soft smile on his face, "He is."

"He looks like a mini-Minato"

Jiraiya chuckled, the boy really did take after his father.

"He's got Kushina's nose, though."

Naruto began to stir when he heard the voices, his eyes fluttered open.

The blond baby stared directly into Jiraiya's eyes.

Naruto's eyes were a deep, earthy brown. His eyes looked like soil that had been freshly tilled, ready for seeds to be planted so that the plant may grow big and strong. It looked nothing like either Minato's or Kushina's eyes.

In fact, Jiraiya knew exactly who Naruto's eyes looked like.

"He's got his grandmother's eyes."

* * *

_(Forests outside Konohagakure no Sato – Year 41)_

* * *

Jiraiya was incredibly confused when he was asked to meet in such a strange location. He was in the forests outside the border of Konohagakure, heavy rains poured down, drowning out any other sounds that could have been made. He was in a small abandoned watch tower. It was run down and the wood was rotting. Jiraiya doubted if it had been in use since the second or third shinobi world war.

The interiors were bare bones, only a table and two chairs occupied the inside of the wooden structure. There were no windows on the bottom floor, but there was a ladder that led up to the viewing platform.

The door burst open moments after he had entered the building himself, a buxom blonde entered holding a bundle of blankets in her hands. She was drenched from the rain and her skin glistened with water and sweat.

She held a small baby in her hands, which surprised Jiraiya, but he decided to ignore that for now and focus instead on the girl that had come barreling into the room.

"I was surprised to receive your letter Tsunade-hime," he said.

"I'm so glad you're here Jiraiya."

Tsunade let out a sigh, she sounded relieved to see him. She also sounded exhausted, her eyelids drooped and her breathing was labored.

The white-haired teenager raised an eyebrow,

"I have so many questions Tsunade. Do you know how worried Orochimaru and I were when you just up and disappeared for almost a year."

He was underplaying the worry and anger he had felt, of course. Over time, he had learned to accept that she had done what she did for some reason, and decided that holding it against her would do nothing good for either of them.

Tsunade panted a little, still catching her breath.

Jiraiya continued, undeterred by the lack of response he was getting,

"First question," His expression softened, "How are you? Are you okay?"

Tsunade looked surprised, having fully expected to be grilled on as to why she had gone missing for so long and having returned with a baby.

"I'm," she panted, "I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Jiraiya stared at her incredulously,

"You don't just look 'a little tired' Tsunade," he pulled out a chair for her to take a seat, "You look like shit."

Jiraiya was never one for being subtle.

"Okay, now for my second question."

Jiraiya looked directly into her brown eyes to show how serious he was,

"Why did you think that it was a good idea to just run away from the village without telling anyone?"

Tsunade opened her mouth to debate that statement, but he cut her off,

"I know you told Sensei, but that still doesn't change the fact that you didn't tell me or Orochimaru. You know how much we care about you right?"

Tsunade said nothing, wanting to hear out everything the white-haired man wanted to get off his chest.

"Could you imagine my surprise when I go to your house to see how you were taking Nawaki's death," Jiraiya paused for a moment to see how Tsunade would react to the mention of her brother's death. It was the reason she had left the village after all.

Her face didn't betray her emotions so he continued,

"Only to find you missing."

Jiraiya inhaled sharply, reliving the memories all over again.

"Orochimaru and I searched all over the village for you, ya know. It wasn't until later that Sarutobi-sensei finally told us that you took an indefinite leave of absence from your kunoichi duties after the death of your brother and that you had long since left the village."

His words fell into a hushed whisper.

Tsunade regretted not telling Jiraiya and Orochimaru that she was leaving, but she had been embarrassed. She was ashamed of what she had done in the aftermath of finding out what had happened to her brother.

As if sensing his mother's discomfort, the blond boy in her arms began to stir.

Tsunade swung her arms slowly in a rocking motion, hoping that the boy would go back to sleep. If only, until she was done talking to Jiraiya.

"You could have told us, Tsunade."

Jiraiya finally decided to address the elephant in the room, one that he had been avoiding ever since he saw the girl burst into the watchtower. He couldn't avoid the topic anymore, and besides, he was really curious.

"Is he yours?"

Tsunade looked at her best friend. His eyes shone with compassion and worry. She nodded slowly,

"His name is Minato."

Jiraiya took a step closer to Tsunade, and observed the boy.

"He's got your chin."

"That's why I called you here," Tsunade said, steeling her nerves for what she was about to say, "I need you to take him."

Jiraiya stared at his best friend like she had grown a second head. Tsunade didn't allow him to interrupt her,

"I need you to take my son back to Konoha and find him a good family that will take care of him," she took a shaky breath, "I can't look after a kid Jiraiya, I'm only seventeen."

Jiraiya couldn't understand what Tsunade was trying to say,

"What are you saying Tsunade, we can help you take care of Minato-kun."

Tsunade shook her head,

"No, I've already made my decision. I'm going away from the village for some more time. I can't stand it there anymore. I can't stand the looks of pity from the villagers. I can't stand looking at the shinobi who allowed my brother to die."

She extended her hand, forcing Jiraiya to hold onto the boy.

"Don't tell anyone that Minato is my son."

"What about- "

"Not even Hiruzen-Sensei or Orochimaru. You are the only person I am trusting with this."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

Tsunade turned around, facing away from Jiraiya,

"Maybe we will meet again someday Jiraiya, but for now this means goodbye."

She stood at the door frame for a moment.

She then turned around and gave him a hug.

After unwrapping herself from the embrace, she reached into her pack and pulled out her hitai-ate,

"Give this to him when he graduates."

She then kissed Minato on the forehead, knowing that this could be the last time she would lay eyes upon her baby boy. Regardless of what she told Jiraiya, she had no real intention of returning to Konoha.

"Find him a good family Jiraiya, please."

Jiraiya simply stared dumbfounded as he stood there, baby in hand and Tsunade's words ringing in his ears.

She ran back out into the storm, never turning back.

* * *

**So that's it for this chapter, hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Any suggestions are always welcome!**

**Don't forget to read and review!**

**BAIIII!**

* * *

_Beta: Fanfiction0000_


	3. Chapter 3

_**-Hana-**_

**Hi all!**

**Guess what?**

**ORIGINAL CONTENT!**

**That's right, from this chapter on is going to be entirely original because I've already used all the material from the original story. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, this should also be the last of the exposition dumps xD**

**See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

_(Tsunade's Apartment, Konohagakure no Sato – Year 73)_

* * *

Tsunade let out a sigh of relief when her grandson finally decided to wander off into the village. She didn't want to be mistaken, she absolutely loved the boy with every fiber of her being, but the energetic blond was a little too much to handle on a regular basis.

Especially when he got bored.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much in their humble apartment that could keep the boy occupied long enough for Tsunade to get any peace, so she shooed him out of the house with a handful of coins and told him to be back before sundown.

The boy, fortunately for her (and unfortunately for the rest of the villagers), loved wandering around the village looking for new potential targets for his pranks. Most villagers were too afraid to offend the only two remaining Senju so they usually went along with whatever harmless fun the boy got into, even the more antsy ones knew better than to retaliate against the boy because of the group of ANBU that followed the boy at all times to make sure the youngest Senju remained out of harm's way.

It wasn't only that the boy was related to the Shodai Hokage, he was also the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune, and the village would not like it one bit if the beast was released one more time. It was best to just let the boy have his fun rather than risk the wrath of not only the Nine Tailed Fox, but also his (very) overprotective grandmother.

Tsunade plopped down on her couch, coffee and magazine in hand. She was intent on having some moments of respite to herself so that she could just relax after a long week. Ever since she returned to the village, she had been working herself to the bone to ensure that the villagers hadn't lost their faith in her. Her long shifts in the hospital began to relax after a few years, but it was still a lot for her to handle.

She idly flipped the pages of the piece of mindless entertainment before her, not really paying it much attention. They had a television in their home, but Tsunade didn't really want the peace and quiet of the apartment to be broken.

She took a long sip of her steaming hot coffee. The bitter flavor of the drink tickled her tongue, and its warmth sent a feeling of comfort and familiarity down her spine. She had taken to drinking the russet decoction ever since she made the mistake of imbibing alcohol for the first time. An action that was directly responsible for the birth of her son when she was far too young.

Tsunade, back when she was younger and still the student of the Sandaime Hokage, had never expected that she could be completely satisfied having retired from being a working kunoichi and instead, just staying at home and raising a kid who she loved more than anyone else in the world. Especially at the young age of forty-six.

If anything, her expectations were even further from when she had abandoned her son mere weeks after he had been born.

She hadn't been ready to be a mother back then but she was now and she was going to make sure that she did a damn fine job at it, she had lost her chance with Minato and Naruto was her chance to prove herself.

On that note, Tsunade decided to prepare Naruto and herself a meal. She got off the couch and made her way to the kitchen after slipping on her apron. Her grandson was probably going to stuff himself with as much ramen as he could eat when he went out, but it was still her responsibility to make sure the boy ate healthy. And, while it was a herculean task to make the boy slow down when it came to ramen, the least she could do was make sure he got some vegetables into his system.

Tsunade began by washing the rice to be put into the rice cooker. She measured enough for the two of them into a wide bowl and ran it under the sink. The steady flow of the water into the bowl reminded her of her flighty nature the fifteen years she was away from the village.

She had spent years in constant motion, always moving from one settlement to the next. She had tried not staying in the same establishment for longer than a day or two at most. While on the run, she often missed Konoha and her teammates and her sensei, but the urge was never strong enough to drive her to return to the village.

She earned her keep by working as a ninja for hire. A hired mercenary that would do any job for a high enough pay. She had made a name for herself, albeit not always the most flattering.

Many sought her work as the 'Buxom Blonde Beast' and many more were terrified of the title. It was a name Tsunade wasn't particularly fond of but her opinion on the matter was moot because that was the name that had stuck. With her increase in infamy, she began training herself to become a better medic because she was being hunted constantly and she had to get good at healing herself and quickly. She soon discovered her affinity for the art.

By chance, or by fate, she had run into Jiraiya a few times in her travels. The first time, she had been completely blindsided, not having expected to run into the white-haired man merely a couple years after she had bid him farewell. Ever since then, Jiraiya had kept 'running into her every six months or so. Tsunade personally believed that he had used his spy-network to track her down, but she never voiced her concerns.

It felt good when she spoke with her best friend, and he never tried convincing her to return to the village. He had probably only been checking up on her, which was understandable as she was still considered a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf, even though she had relinquished her Hitai-ate a long time prior. She also had a sizable bounty on her head, which Jiraiya never failed to express his concerns over.

With the rice having been washed thoroughly, Tsunade put it into the cooker and got to peeling and chopping the vegetables. She had decided to make a vegetable stir-fry to go with the rice. She figured eggs on the side would go nicely with the dish.

After a life of constantly moving around, it had felt strange when she had decided to settle down and retire from going on missions outside the village. She had felt like she had done enough running around to last a lifetime and this was her chance to take a breath and just raise Naruto. She grabbed that opportunity and never let go.

She had been a coward. She was not proud of what she had done. She was selfish and a terrible person. She was the last person to be trusted with raising a child but when Jiraiya showed up at the inn she had been staying in seven years ago with the little blond in his hands and news that Minato was dead, she left her old life behind in a heartbeat.

She grieved for the lost Hokage and cried for a son she didn't know.

She didn't get to know her son. Everything she knew about Minato, she knew from tales by Jiraiya and by reputation. He was the Yellow Flash and the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure after all.

The moment, when she found out that Minato was to become the Hokage, was the closest she had ever been to returning to Konoha ever since she left. But she didn't return. She was still far too ashamed of her actions to ever face Minato after she had simply abandoned him so many years ago. So, she stayed behind in the little inn she was renting while Jiraiya went back to Konoha to congratulate Minato on becoming the Fourth Hokage.

Tsunade tossed the chopped-up vegetables into a frying pan and seasoned it well.

What had surprised Tsunade the most when she returned to the village though, was that her old teammate Orochimaru was dead.

When Jiraiya and her had returned from the village, the white-haired man told her about their battle against Hanzō of the Salamander. Jiraiya had been dubbed the Legendary Ichinin of Konoha for being the only Konoha shinobi to survive the attack. Orochimaru had been one of the causalities.

Jiraiya had tried apologizing profusely for not telling her earlier, but the apologies fell on deaf ears.

She hadn't spoken to her best friend for the first six months after returning to the village. Mostly because the man had kept it a secret from her for nearly seven years but also partly because she felt like if she had been present then maybe he could have survived the encounter.

He had, eventually, broken through her defenses and in time Tsunade learned to forgive Jiraiya for allowing their teammate to die.

Tsunade was snapped out of her reminiscing by an urgent knock on her apartment door.

She hurriedly took the frying pan off the heat so that the vegetables don't burn and answered the door.

She was surprised to find a breathless, genin-rank shinobi at her door. The shinobi at her door looked to be in his early thirties and had dull-pink hair which was styled into the shape of a cherry blossom. He nervously held a flower pot with a singular yellow rose in his hand.

"Tsunade-san," the man wheezed out, "There is something I need to tell you."

Her interest piqued, Tsunade invited the strange man into her home and offered the man a place to have a seat.

"What did you need to tell me…," she paused, not knowing how to address the man.

"Kizashi, my name is Kizashi Haruno."

"What did you need to tell me so urgently Kizashi-san?"

Tsunade was incredibly curious, the man looked like he had run across the entire village to tell her something, something that seemed to be quite important.

The man took a deep breath,

"Today my daughter made a new friend -"

Tsunade was confused, why would she need to know about some random shinobi's daughter making a friend. Just as she was about to tell the man to leave and stop wasting her time, he continued after taking another breath.

"Naruto."

Tsunade's eyes widened, then she grinned with elation. She had always been worried that Naruto didn't have any friends his own age. Today seemed to be a good day as Naruto had finally made a new friend.

Although, Tsunade wondered why the man took it upon himself to run all the way to her apartment to let her know something like this this in person, Naruto would no doubt tell her all about it when he came home.

Kizashi continued,

"My daughter, Sakura was telling me about her interaction with Naruto," he held up the pot in his hands for Tsunade to see.

"This flower," he continued, "Was dying this morning."

Gears began turning in Tsunade's head. She wasn't stupid, she had an idea as to where the man was going with his tale.

"Sakura told me that Naruto just held the pot for a few moments and the flower came back to life."

Tsunade's eyes widened,

"You can't be suggesting – "

Kizashi cleared his throat,

"Tsunade-san, I think your grandson, Naruto Senju has access to Mokuton."

* * *

**So ye, this one has a whole lot of Tsunade and a whole lot of exposition. I've made some pretty big changes to canon which I'm sure can be a little surprising.**

**Don't forget to read and review!**

**BAIII!**


End file.
